Federal

Judge Says Whitaker Was Not Mon Ethos Corruption Mastermind as Contractor Gets 22 Months, $600,000 Restitution

David Whitaker, the Mon Ethos contractor who became a central government witness in the federal corruption case against former V.I. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez and former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal, was sentenced Monday to 22 months in prison after prosecutors and the court drew a sharp distinction between Whitaker’s crimes and the larger scheme they said was led by Martinez. Whitaker was also ordered to pay $600,000 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release. His prison sentence is scheduled to begin on January 2, 2027. But the central theme of Whitaker’s sentencing hearing was not simply the length of his prison term. It was the court’s recognition that while Whitaker knowingly committed fraud and violated public trust, he also quickly accepted responsibility, cooperated with federal authorities and provided testimony that helped prosecutors secure convictions against Martinez and O’Neal. Federal prosecutors had recommended a 22-mo...